Projectile fuze with anti-sabotage means



Oct. 10, 1967 A. COMBOURIEUX PROJECTILE FUZE WITH ANTI-SABOTAGE MEANSFiled March 16, 1966 7 Sheets-Sheet l Q AL MW A. COMBOURIEUX PROJECTILEFQUZE WITH ANTI-SABOTAGE MEANS Oct. 10, 1967 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledMarch 16, 1966 0 0, 1967 A. COMBOURIEUX 3,345,947

Filed March 16, 1966 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Oct. 10, 1967 A. COMBOURIEUX3,345,947

PROJECTILE FUZE WITH ANTI-SABOTAGE MEANS Filed March 16, 1966 '7Sheets-Sheet 4 f7//////// l l Get. 10, 1967 A. COMBOURIEUX 3,345,947

PROJECTILE FUZE WITH ANTI-SABOTAGE MEANS Filed'March 16, 1966 '7Sheets-Sheet 6 I @wwgfw/M Jim/gag) Oct. 10, 1967 A. COMBOURIEUX3,345,947

PROJECTILE FUZE WITH ANTI-SABOTAGE MEANS Filed March 16, 1966 7SheetsSheet 6 Illll' *ge 1/ JQL/ Oct. 10, 1967 A. COMBOURIEUX PROJECTILEFUZE WITH ANTI-SABOTAGE MEANS Filed March 16, 1966 '7 Sheets-Sheet 7aggas 3,345,947 Patented Oct. 10, 1967 ABSCT OF THE DISQLOSURE Aprojectile fuze with an anti-sabotage device operating upon impacthaving a body and a hood rotatably mounted thereon. Trajectory safetymeans are provided comprising a balance-bar, a spring for actuating thebalance-bar and a primer-holder rack cooperating with the spring tocontrol the arming of the fuze. Locking means are provided to preventthe operation of the balance-bar before firing. Manually operated fireconditioning means include a primer-holder movable between a safetyposition and at least one operative position. The fire conditioningmeans control the locking means and a locking member is also providedcontrolled by the primer-holder rack to immobilize the body relative tothe hood if the rack assumes an operative position while the hood andthe body are still in a relative safety position.

The present invention has for object a projectile fuse, of the typeoperating upon impact and comprising trajectory safety means including abalance-bar actuated by a spring, through the agency of a primer-holderrack, to control the arming of the fuse, locking means to prevent theoperation of the balance-arm before firing, and fire conditioning meansincluding a primer-holder movable between a safety position and at leastone operative position, these means being actuated by the gunner andcontrolling the locking means.

This fuse is characterized in that it comprises an antisabotage deviceincluding a locking member controlled by the primer-holder rack, toimmobilize one relative to the other the body and the hood of the fuseif the rack assumes the operative position whereas the hood and the bodyof the fuse are still in a relative safety position.

The accompanying drawing shows, by way of example, two embodiments ofthe fuse according to the invention.

FIG. 1 is a view thereof in axial section along 11 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 2 is a view in cross section along 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view in cross section along 33 of FIG. 1 showing the membersin the safety position.

FIG. 4 is a View similar to FIG. 3, but showing the members in theso-called instantaneous position.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing the members in aso-called delay-action position.

FIG. 6 is a view in partial section along 66 of FIG. 7 on a largerscale, showing the balance-bar and escapement device.

FIG. 7 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 1, but showing the members inthe operating position which they occupy after firing and after arming.

FIG. 9 is a view in partial section corresponding to FIG. 1, showingcertain members in the so-called safety position.

FIG. 10 is a view in cross section corresponding to FIG. 9 and alongllL-IO of FIG. 1.

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 9, but showing the same members in theso-called delay-action position.

FIG. 12 is .a view similar to FIG. 10 and corresponding to FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 9, but showing the position occupiedby the same members after arming the fuse.

FIG. 14 is a view similar to FIG. 10, to FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a view similar to FIG. 10, but relating to an alternativeform of construction.

FIG. 16 is a view in axial section of the second embodiment.

The fuse shown comprises a body 1 on which is rotatably mounted a hood 2itself provided with a cap 3. A seal joint 4 is provided between thebody 1 and the hood 2. The axial immobilization of the hood relative tothe body is effected due to a slit elastic ring 5 disposed in twocomplementary grooves made the one at 6 in the body 1 and the otheropposite at 7 in the hood 2. This elastic ring is normally contracted soas to be entirely in the groove 6. A pointed screw 8 disposed in acorresponding threaded hole of the hood 2 is provided to separate onefrom the other the two ends of this ring when one firmly screws thescrew 8 in its hole. The spacing apart of the ring has for effect toexpand the latter and to bring it into the position shown in FIG. 1 (onthe right) where it is seen that this ring is partly engaged in the twocircular grooves 6 and 7, which prevents any relative axial movement of1 and 2 while leaving the hood free to rotate relative to the body.

When the hood is in the position shown in FIG. 1 which corresponds toFIG. 3, the members are in a socalled safety position, in which thestriker 9 is held stationary by a striker bolt 10. Simultaneously, asolid wall of a primer-holder barrel 11 is opposite the striker. On theother hand, in this safety position, a primer-holder rack 12 ensures theinteruption, as will be seen later on, of the pyrotechnical chain bymeans of which firing takes place.

In the safety position, a radial hole 13 made in the body 1 is oppositeto a solid part of the hood 2. In this hole are disposed two balls 14,15, the first completely engaged and the second only partly. The ball 15is partly engaged in a notch 16 of a rod 17 parallel to the axis of thefuse. This rod is provided to slide in a conduit 18 made in the frame 19of a safety device which will be described further on. The lower end ofthis rod 17, which is hollow, is engaged in a socket 20 itself disposedin a housing of the body 1. A compression spring 21 is disposed insidethe socket 20 and operates upwardly in FIG. 1, on the rod 17. So long asthe balls 14 and 15 are in the position shown in FIG. 1, the rod 17 isimmobilized. In this safety position, the rod 17 immobilizes the strikerbolt 10, that is to say prevents it from rotating about its pivotingaxis 22 (FIG. 2).

The following means are further provided to immobilize the striker bolt10. A ball 23 is partly engaged in a housing 24 of the lower face of thebolt 10 and partly in a hole 25 parallel to the axis of the fuse andmade in the upper part 26 of the frame 19. This frame 19, 26 is in twoparts for reasons of mounting. This ball is held in the position shownin FIG. 1 by a rod 27 disposed in the hole 26 to slide therein. Thelower end of this rod abuts against the primer-holder rack 12 when themembers are in the position according to FIG. 1.

When it is desired to arm the fuse to bring it either into theinstantaneous position shown in FIG. 4, or in the delay-action positionvisible in FIGS. 2 and 5, one rotates the hood 2 in the desireddirection relation to the body 1. One will describe what happens in eachof these two cases.

One rotates the hood 2 so as to bring the members into the positionaccording to FIG. 4, that is to say up to but corresponding the momentwhen the index I figuring on the hood occupies the position which wasthat of the index S when one was in the safety position (FIG. 3). Adriving dog 28 stationary relative to the hood 2 is partly engaged in aslot 29 made in the primer-holder barrel 11. Upon relative rotation ofthe hood with respect to the body, this dog 28 obliges the barrel torotate about its own axis causing it to pass from the position visiblein FIG. 3 to that shown in FIG. 4. Thus, the priming 30 has placeditself in the axis of the fuse. This priming is provided for instaneousfiring upon impact. The other priming 31 of the barrel 11 occupies, inthe instantaneous position, the place shown in FIG. 4.

In order to pass from the safety position to the delayaction position,one causes the hood to rotate so as to bring the index R into theposition occupied by the index S in the safety position. In thedelay-action position, the members are shown as in FIGS. 2 and 5. Therotation of the hood in the reverse direction to that describedpreviously occasions, through the agency of the dog 28, the rotation ofthe barrel 11 in such a way that it is the priming 31 which, this time,places itself in the axis of the fuse (FIG. 5). This priming differsfrom the priming 30 by its nature, to ensure slower firing than in thecase of the instantaneous.

The bringing into the correct position of the instantaneous or of thedelay-action, that is to say the correct angle of rotation of the hoodrelative to the body, is ensured by the following means: a lug 32 isfixed in the body 1 and is opposite a milling 33 made in the hood 2. Inthe safety position, this lug is between the two ends of the millingwhereas in the instantaneous position it abuts one of these ends and inthe delay-action position, against the other end. Thus, the selection ofone of th two operating positions, delay-action and instantaneous, maybe effected without the help of the eyes. When the members of the fuseare either in the instantaneous position, or in the delay-actionposition, the projectile may be fired.

This is what takes place at the moment of firing: the bringing of thehood 2 into one of the positions, instantaneous or delay-action, has foreffect to bring opposite the hole 13 a milling 34 of sufficient depth topermit the balls 14, 15 to move so as to reach the position according toFIG. 8, where the ball 15 is completely disengaged from the notch 16.The rod 17 is therefore no longer immobilized by these balls.

Upon firing, through inertia, the rod 17 passes from the positionaccording to FIG. 1 to the position of FIG. {3, by compressing itsspring 21. As soon as this position is reached, a blade-spring 35 fixedin a manner not shown on a part of the frame of the mechanism slackensand passes from the position according to FIG. 1 to that according toFIG. 8, where its free end places itself opposite the upper end of therod 17. From this moment, this spring 35 prevents the rod 17 fromobeying the actlon of the spring 21. This rod is thus immobilized in thelower position.

In this lower position, another notch 36 of the rod 17 is opposite abalance-bar mounted to pivot about a hollow spindle 38 coaxial with thefuse. Before the firing of the shot, that is to say so long as the rod17 was in the upper position, this rod blocked the balance-bar andprevented it from oscillating. Now that it is in the lower posltion, itno longer opposes this oscillation. This balance-bar thus starts tooscillate under the action of a driving spring 39, due to the followingmeans: this spring 39 is disposed in a case 40 mounted to slide betweenthe frame 19 and the primer-holder rack 12.

In the safety position (FIGS. 1, 9 and the spring 39 is slackened andthe case is engaged in a 'hollowing 55 of the hood 2, forming, on eitherside of the spot where this case makes contact, two inclines 56, 57.When one passes from the safety position (FIG. 10) to the delayactionposition (FIG. 12), the incline 56 acts on the case 40 and causes thecompression of the spring 39. Similarly, if one passes into theinstantaneous position, the spring will be compressed, but by theincline 57. At 41 is seen the priming carried by 12 and at 42 (FIGS. 6and 7) the escapement cooperating with a toothed wheel 43 integral Witha pinion 44 itself meshing with another toothed wheel 45'; this latteris integral with another pinion 46 which itself meshes with the teeth 47of the primer-holder rack 12. One understands that under the action ofthe spring 39 (compressed as has been seen), as soon as the balancebarcan oscillate, the gear train described starts to rotate and theescapement 42 to operate, which causes the rack 12 to advance step bystep. This movement of the rack 12 in the frame 19 continues until themoment when this rack abuts against a part of the body of the fuse, asshown in FIG. 13. At the end of the travel of the rack, the priming 41of the latter is in the axis of the fuse and, as from that moment, thedifferent elements of the pyrotechnical chain 30 or 31, 41 and a relay53 of a detonator 54 (FIG. 8) are in line and firing may occur. In fact,before reaching the end of the travel of the rack, the rear end 48 ofthe latter has passed in front of the lower end of the rod 27, so thatthis rod is no longer blocked in the position according to FIG. 1. Underthe action of a torsion spring not shown, acting on the bolt of thestriker 10, this bolt starts to rotate, which forces the ball 23 and therod 27 downwardly since nothing any longer holds back this rod. As soonas the bolt of the striker has released the striker, the latter is ableto bring about firing at the moment when the projectile meets anobstacle. The operation of the striker may be carried out in two ways:either by percussion of the central part 49 of the cap 3 which crashescausing the driving back of the striker downwardly in FIG. 1, or simplyby inertia, if the projectile hits an obstacle in a skimming way and inthis latter case, at the moment of braking or stopping of theprojectile, through inertia, the primer-holder barrel 11 is projectedforwards and the priming 30 or 31 which is in the axial position strikesthe point of the striker. At 50 is seen the spring which normallymaintains the striker in the rest position.

It is seen that the fuse shown comprises trajectory safety meansincluding a balance-bar actuated by a spring and regulating the speed ofradial movement of a primerholder rack, this adjustment being effectedthrough the agency of an escapement. These trajectory safety meansmoreover comprise first locking means (rod 17) to prevent on the onehand the operation of the balance-bar before firing and on the otherhand the movement of the striker bolt. Additional locking means shown bythe rod 27 and the ball 25 are provided so as completely to release thestriker only after a certain movement of the rack.

The spring 39 for actuating the balance-bar is a flexion spring ofgeneral V-shape with unequal legs open in the free position and whichare brought to close at least partly when tensioned. Calculation andexperience show that such a spring has, as compared with the usual coilspring, the advantage of much less bulkiness, the force being the same.It will be noted, in considering FIG. 9 to 14, that the spring 39 isdisposed between two members (12 and 2) movable one relative to theother during the work conditioning operation which consists in rotatingthe hood relative to the body 1 and that the members are shaped, asalready seen, to cause tensioning of this spring during this operation.The spring is therefore in the free state so long as the fuse is stockedand can therefore not sustain any fatigue. It is only at the moment ofthe fire conditioning operation, thus just before the operation of thefuse, that it is armed. Independently of this advantage, thisdisposition offers yet another one: the spring 39 not being undertension, if accidentally, for example as a result of the fracture of anelement, the safety means break down, the primer-holder rack cannotaccidentally take up the alignment position of the pyrotechnical chainbefore the fire conditioning, which avoids serious accidents. Due to theinequality of the two legs of the spring 39, one gains an advantagewhich appears in comparing FIG. 9 and 13. The travel necessary totension the spring, thus to bring it into the position according to FIG.11, is notably less than the work travel visible in FIG. 13. Moreover,in this figure, the spring, is not completely slack since one must besure that the rack effectively reaches the end of travel under theaction of a tension, still sufficient, of the spring.

The embodiment described comprises so-called antisabotage means. Bysabotage, is to be understood a fuse rendered voluntarily dangerouseither during manipulations of the fuse, or during its transport, oragain when the shot is fired, without anything being visible from theoutside of the fuse. In a fuse of the type described, the sabotage willconsist in bringing about surreptitiously the arrival of theprimer-holder rack 12 in the position corresponding to the arming of thefuse, that is to say in the position shown in FIG. 13, and for which theelements of the pyrotechnical chain are all in line, of course withoutrotating the hood 2 relative to the body 1, thus apparently leaving themembers visible from the exterior in the safety position. Theanti-sabotage means here provided consist of a pin 58 in the right handend in FIG. 1 of the rack 12. A compression spring 59 disposed in a holeof this rack constantly urges the pin 58 to project outwardly of thisrack as is seen in FIG. 1. A hole 60 is provided in the part of the body1 which is opposite the pin 58 when the fuse members are in the safetyposition. This hole 60 has a diameter just sufiicient to allow the pin58 to pass therethrough.

The hood 2 of the fuse extends lower than the spot where the hole 60 isto be found and it presents opposite this hole (always when the membersare in the safety position) a radial hole 61 having a thread 51 in whichis screwed a plug 52. If by a Sabotage operation, someone succeeds incausing movement of the rack 12 to the right in FIG. 1 without rotatingthe hood 2 relative to the body 1, the result will be that the pin 58the existence of which is supposed to be ignored by the saboteur, passesthrough the hole 60 and engages partly in the hole 61. From this moment,the hood 2 is completely immobilized relative to the body 1 and it is nolonger possible for the gunner to act on this hood so as to bring themembers into the fire preparation position. His attention is thus drawnto the fact that something is not in order and the fuse is put aside.

These anti-sabotage means do not hinder the normal operation of thefuse. In fact, when one rotates the hood 2 relative to the body 1 tobring the members either in the so-called instantaneous position, or inthe delay-action position, the rack 12 is at the left hand end of itstrajectory, that is to say that the pin 58 is out of the holes 60 and61. The hood may therefore rotate without opposition on the part of thepin 58. When now the spring 39 brings the rack to the right hand end ofits travel, the pin 58 passes through the hole 60 and abuts against asolid part of the hood 2 (FIGS. 13 and 14). The spring 59 being muchweaker than the spring 39, it gives way and the pin 58 retreats as therack approaches the end of its travel.

In the case of FIG. 15, one has to do with a modified form in which thespring pin 58 is replaced by a pin 62 screwed in the rack 12. One againfinds the hole 60 of the body 1, the hole 61 of the hood 2 and the plug52 outwardly closing this hole 61. A radial hole 63 is provided i s thehood 2 opposite the position occupied by the pin 62 when the members arein the delay-action position. Similarly, a radial hole 64 is provided inthe hood oppo- Site the position occupied by the pin 62 in the so-cailedinstantaneous position. These holes, which are closed outwardly sbyplugs 65, 66 serve as a housing at the end of the pin 62, to permit therack 12 to move to the end of its stroke without opposition from thispin. This disposition offers the additional advantage of immobilizingthe members in the operative position and thus preventing any accidentalrelative movement of these members at the moment of impact.

In the example according to FIG. 1, most of the members are identical tothose of the first embodiment and they will not be described afresh. Onewill restrict oneself to describe what is different.

In this second embodiment, the hood 2 does not extend as low down as inthe first example and it does not reach the level of the plane in whichmoves the rack 12. A member carried by this rack, such as the pin 58,cannot therefore cooperate directly with the hood 2. Instead of this pin58 there is provided a conical head 67 opposite to which is formed aradial hole 68 in the body 1. This hole is closed on the outside by athreaded plug 69. A dog 70 urged by a spring 71 is disposed in anoblique hole 72 of the body 1. The lower end of this dog projects at theentrance of the hole 68 on the inner sides so as to be in the trajectoryof the conical head 67. The opposite end of the dog 70 is provided topenetrate into a notch 73 of the hood when the head 67 acts on the dog70 to move it obliquely and upwardly in FIG. 16. The arrival of the dog70 in the notch 73 ensures the immobilization of the hood 2 relative tothe body 1 under the conditions which have been explained in detail inrespect of the first embodiment. Of course, notches such as 53 must bemade in the hood 2, not only at the point opposite to 70 in the safetyposition, but also at the points opposite to 70 in the position ofinstantaneous operation and in the position of delay-action.

In FIG. 16, the V-shaped spring is replaced by a spiral compressionspring 74 disposed in a housing for a threaded plug 75. Apart from this,this fuse is the same as the one already described.

What I claim is:

Projectile f uze with anti-sabotage device operating upon impactcomprising a body, a hood rotatably mounted on said body, trajectorysafety means comprising a balance-bar, a spring for actuating saidbalance-bar, a primerholder rack cooperating with said spring to controlthe arming of the fuze, locking means to prevent the operation of saidbalance-bar before firing, manually operated fire conditioning meansincluding a primer-holder movable between a safety position and at leastone operative position, said fire conditioning means controlling saidlocking means and a locking member controlled by said primer-holder rackto immobilize said body relative to said hood if said rack assumes theoperative position while said hood and said body are still in a relativesafety position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/ 1958 Sheeley 10276 X 9/1964Varaud 10284 X

